The Fight to Prevent Presumptions Against Bail
When the Governor recently introduced a budget amendment that would reinstate presumptions against bail, we fought back. The Pretrial Justice Coalition (which LAJC is a founding member of) helped to repeal the presumptions in 2021 and knew defending the victory was key to continuing to make our pretrial system more just. We asked for the […]
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Veto Session Update – 2022 Legislative Session
Every legislative session in Virginia culminates in a brief “Reconvene” or “Veto” session where the General Assembly considers any vetoes or amendments from the Governor. On April 27th, legislators gathered to act on approximately 100 bills that Gov. Youngkin proposed amending, as well as 26 bills that he vetoed. Several of those bills directly implicated our […]
Read moreAnnouncing Anna Kurien, CRRJ’s new Legal Director
Anna worked for over a decade as a Public Defender at the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, Office of the Public Defender. There, she represented low-income people charged with felonies in jury trials and appeals. She used the participatory defense model to partner with her clients and their communities to shift the balance of power in the […]
Read moreBig Wins – LAJC at the 2021 Legislative Session
The 2021 General Assembly session is wrapping up, and all the bills and budget amendments that passed the Virginia House and Senate are on their way to the Governor to be signed into law. Successfully advocating for legislation at the GA is a tough job in the best of circumstances, but during a pandemic, with […]
Read moreTransformative Record Sealing Law Passes
download pdf version here Today, Virginians are one step away from a major victory: criminal record sealing that is automatic, equitable, free, and far reaching. Bills (SB1339, HB2113) that will greatly expand and improve the process of sealing criminal records have successfully passed both houses and are awaiting Governor Northam’s signature. Criminal records are […]
Read moreThe Case for Automatic Expungement in VA
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Read moreA Long Road to a Big Win
Ending Virginia’s Driver’s License Suspension Trap Six years ago, a Charlottesville jail superintendent brought a serious problem to the local reentry council: the jail was full of people locked up just for driving on a suspended license. What’s worse, they lost their licenses due to criminal/traffic court debt they just couldn’t pay. To tackle the […]
Read moreSuspended Driver’s License? What you need to know
As of July 1st, the law allowing the suspension of a person’s driver’s license in Virginia due to unpaid court debt has permanently ended. Watch a short video produced by LAJC and Nolef Turns on what you need to do to have your license reinstated and read and download our fact-sheet. Download Fact Sheet PDF
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